How to disable VESS (Virtual Engine Sound System) on 2020 (US)

[David T in Silicon Valley]

I believe VESS exists for safety reasons, which is why they don't allow you to simply disable it like you can in Europe.

There is a US federal regulation requiring it at speeds below 30 km/h
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA-2011-01001*

If it was different or customizable, it would not bother me so much. The fake turbine noise that changes with speed annoys me. I suppose I will just have to pull in and out of my driveway and parking spaces at 20 mph...I am quick on the brakes, so it will be fine.

*Regulation document does not load.

 

[Hedge]

I believe VESS exists for safety reasons, which is why they don't allow you to simply disable it like you can in Europe.

The safety reason is bunk, my last ICE was just as quiet as my current EV with out the noise maker, because of all the insulation

 

[CR EV]

Why are you doing this? I have the 2019 and have found in parking lot driving that the virtual engine sound is a good alternative to having to honk the horn to get people to move to the side when they don't know that I am coming up behind them. On at least one occasion, the sound appeared to alert someone who was looking at her phone and appeared ready to step out in front of me.

If someone steps out in front of you, they may have a good legal case that you caused their injury through defeating a safety feature built into your car.

 

[CR EV]

The safety reason is bunk, my last ICE was just as quiet as my current EV with out the noise maker, because of all the insulation

If someone steps out in front of a quiet ice car, the driver is unlikely to be sued; if someone steps out in front of a car whose safety feature has been disabled, different story. You can take your chances, of course, but what's the upside/downside?

 

[Hedge]

If someone steps out in front of a quiet ice car, the driver is unlikely to be sued; if someone steps out in front of a car whose safety feature has been disabled, different story. You can take your chances, of course, but what's the upside/downside?

I don't want to turn it off for all time. I just want it off when I want it to be off when pedestrians aren't involved. Like trying to see if some of the sounds that I hear are made by the vess and not a fault in the operation of the car. Or to not make noise when in a quiet setting where pedestrians aren't going to be. The VESS on the Leaf I have is not really noticeable. On the Kia Niro, however some of the sounds are in the finger nails on chalk board range.


After reading some studies it does appear that pedestrian accidents do happen at an elevated rate with Electric vehicle as opposed to ICEs, So it's not so much bunk, but it is a new paradigm. Would we need the noise makers if cars weren't so noisy to begin with? Or if the electric starter had never been invented and EVs were around from the start.

I also think car markers are going beyond the max speed required by regs. I'm sure an annoying high pitched sound is coming from the Vess as it is present in drive, but not in reverse, but i cant confirm this on my own. It also operates at all forward speed. I've seen test drives of many EVs that still do things that that are ICE-esque with no options to turn those of. If it is not required by regs I should be allowed to turn it off.


I drive a lot with the windows down so that may have a great deal to do with my ire towards the VESS and the additional things manufactures build in that are beyond regs that I can't adjust.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I am very careful in parking lots, noise or not. I assume that people will walk into my car. I will be fine disabling the noise, and so will people around me. I want to nuke the terrible backup noise, and will fit a disabling switch, as close to the cockpit as possible.

 

[CR EV]

I am very careful in parking lots, noise or not. I assume that people will walk into my car. I will be fine disabling the noise, and so will people around me. I want to nuke the terrible backup noise, and will fit a disabling switch, as close to the cockpit as possible.

I'm sure that you will be responsible, but you are at risk if you, say, forget to turn the sound back on and there is a pedestrian incident. I am related to some lawyers; they would have fun with that; you would not be having fun. The reason that there isn't a kill switch option is that, as the old saying goes, the most dangerous part of any car is the nut behind the wheel. People forget and make bad choices all the time, and, lawyers aside, people can be badly hurt in low speed accidents. Blind people using canes rely on sound for their safety.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I agree, my butt would be on the line... this thread is a rewind of one started on several Niro forums already, and the arguments about what happens if you get sued etc have been repeated ad nauseum.

I will take the chance, have not hit a person in my life, driving since 1960. Not getting sloppy either.

 

[bubzki]

I believe VESS exists for safety reasons, which is why they don't allow you to simply disable it like you can in Europe.

How exactly can it be safe to disable in Europe but not the US? This is very weird. Should be a switch even if it defaults to on at each startup. Modern day gas cars can be very quiet and I don't think they should have mandated this nanny.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Are you asking the actual safety? How aware people are with and without the sound?

Or

Are you asking the legal issues?

Clearly there can be differences between countries, indeed in the USA there are differences between states!

Greg

 

[bubzki]

I don't dispute that some laws were put in place in the US already (I think Tesla is declining to comply early, whereas H/K just went ahead and did it early), but my point is that the sound is no more or less safe simply because you cross a border.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So, you are asking #1.... "actual safety"... I would state that the actual "safety" of the car by it making noise is probably common between countries...

 

[bubzki]

pssst ... It was a rhetorical question.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

pssstt... I get it

 

[SAM1130]

Why are you doing this? I have the 2019 and have found in parking lot driving that the virtual engine sound is a good alternative to having to honk the horn to get people to move to the side when they don't know that I am coming up behind them. On at least one occasion, the sound appeared to alert someone who was looking at her phone and appeared ready to step out in front of me.

If someone steps out in front of you, they may have a good legal case that you caused their injury through defeating a safety feature built into your car.

Because in a 2020 the sound is obnoxiously loud. It can be heard from all over my neighborhood. It is over 30 decibels louder than the legal requirement. The 2019 does not have this problem I've driven both cars.

 

[SAM1130]

I think as a country we're getting too soft. I remember as a kid going on summer vacations with my parents riding in the back windshield of the car for the trip. None of us used our seat belts. Nobody ever wore a face mask for the flu, and we all survived. Go figure!

 

[SAM1130]

I did a lot of searching and could not find this for 2020 models, so I decided to tear apart my own Niro EV which I got about two hours ago. Here is how to disable VESS on the 2020 US model.

For the faint at heart: you have to partially remove the front bumper cover and it is a pain in the rear to put back. You will probably scratch the bumper cover around the lights like I did. I followed the guide here: http://www.kniro.net/front_bumper_cover_repair_procedures-1473.html


1) remove the 4 10mm bolts from the top support above the radiator.

2) remove the 1 8mm bolt from the wheel well.

3) remove the numerous tabs (4 in the wheel well, I think about 8 along side the bottom of the front of the car) - use a screw driver for this.

4) pull up and out around the light to release the cover.

5) unplug VSS wiring harness (see pic)

6) put everything back by going back to #1 on this list.

I did a lot of searching and could not find this for 2020 models, so I decided to tear apart my own Niro EV which I got about two hours ago. Here is how to disable VESS on the 2020 US model.

For the faint at heart: you have to partially remove the front bumper cover and it is a pain in the rear to put back. You will probably scratch the bumper cover around the lights like I did. I followed the guide here: http://www.kniro.net/front_bumper_cover_repair_procedures-1473.html


1) remove the 4 10mm bolts from the top support above the radiator.

2) remove the 1 8mm bolt from the wheel well.

3) remove the numerous tabs (4 in the wheel well, I think about 8 along side the bottom of the front of the car) - use a screw driver for this.

4) pull up and out around the light to release the cover.

5) unplug VSS wiring harness (see pic)

6) put everything back by going back to #1 on this list.

Thanks a lot for your post I will definitely be taking advantage of your knowledge. I personally would like to have my car make the Monty Python coconut clippity clop sound while driving if anybody can figure that one out. I know Elon musk said it was going to be a feature for the Tesla's I think primarily the model 3 is what he was referring to but we went and test drove one and as of 2020 it's still not available.

 

[CR EV]

I think as a country we're getting too soft. I remember as a kid going on summer vacations with my parents riding in the back windshield of the car for the trip. None of us used our seat belts. Nobody ever wore a face mask for the flu, and we all survived. Go figure!

We all survived, except, of course, for those that didn't. Seatbelts do save lives and Covid 19 ain't the flu. I remember the time before the Polio vaccine...guess my elementary school wimped out by lining us up for inoculation. Don't remember any kids not getting it. Were we getting soft?

 

[CR EV]

Because in a 2020 the sound is obnoxiously loud. It can be heard from all over my neighborhood. It is over 30 decibels louder than the legal requirement. The 2019 does not have this problem I've driven both cars.

Well, that makes sense...the 2019 level is not an issue...no way to lower the volume rather than turn it off?

 

[SAM1130]

We all survived, except, of course, for those that didn't. Seatbelts do save lives and Covid 19 ain't the flu. I remember the time before the Polio vaccine...guess my elementary school wimped out by lining us up for inoculation. Don't remember any kids not getting it. Were we getting soft?

I'm not saying or advocating not using your seatbelt. In fact as a former sheriff's deputy I am a huge proponent. It is really suspicious how Covid (Wuhan flu) have the exact same symptoms. Except kovid has little to no effect on anyone but the elderly or those with respiratory problems unlike the flu that can kill anyone at any age. And is highly deadly to young children. I too remember getting lined up in school for our vaccinations. I guess my point is I think our country can do without quite so much political correctness. I don't think that we would fare quite so well if we had to draft antifa to go to war for us. All in all I will be disabling my annoying backup beeper and hopefully replacing it with my Monty Python clippity clop as soon as I figure it out or someone else figures it out.